Loading crane



Nov. 25, 1930. w. w. LEACH LOADING CRANE Filed Feb. 26, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 25, 1930. w. w. LEACH LOADING CRANE Filed Feb. 26, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 w ill llll n MH F IH'I' I f. l nanlnuu P511 lllll i F o MmLIIIIIIIFIIIIII 1&7

w. w; LEACH LOADING CRANE Nov. 25, 1930.

Filed Feb. 26, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

fjwuentoc Guam;

I Patented New 25,-193@ trap isra'rss Parana oFFicE amen William W. LEACE, F MANSFIELD, OHIO ILQAIJING CRANE Application filed .February 26, 1929. Serial No. 842,823.

The invention relates to a loading crane and is especially adapted to load freight into a box car'or'to'deliver material within a structure provided with a roof.

- One' of the objectsof the invention is to provide a loading device that is adapted to' load a box car at any point within the fear -or deliver material within a structure pro vided with a roof. J

A further object is to provide means for reinforcing the lifting means of the device with a supporting member which is adapted to be swung to positions that will efliciently support the lifting mechanism at any position of its travel within a box car or to de-' liver material'within a structure provided with a roof. Another object of the invention is to provide means for locking the supporting memher in pre-determined positions.

Another object of the invention is to pro- ,vide means for automatically shifting. a

counter-balancing element to an opposed relation to the supporting member for. counter-balancing the'weight of the supportingmember when the same is swung or shifted to difl'erent'positions for supporting. the liftin'gmechanism when delivering, depositing,

"and loading freight within the interior of a 5 box car or todeliver material within a structure provided with a roof.

- Another bject-is to provide means 'where- ,bythe loading mechanism and freight car- ;ried thereby are lifted and transported into ;a"ibox car or to deliver material-within a structure provided with. a roof,-the loading mechanism being adapted to be gradually turned throughthe'medium of a block andtackle, carried by a transversely inovablev 4 trolley which trolley in turn is mounted on a longitudinally movable carriage of a tramway, the loadingmechanism being adapted to'be manipulated. and guided by an attendant, so as to be directed toward and to either end of a box or to any position within the box car that'it'is desired to load orto deliver material within a roofed structure.

vOther objects of the invention are to pro vide means for looking a bracket arm and the jib of the loading anddelivering device in parallel relation to each other adjacent to their free ends to relieve excessive friction, strain, and weight upon the'pivotal connections of the loading and dellvering mechanism when changing or shifting the support-' ing member thereof to a position that will permit the loading and delivering mechanism toload or deliver freight in the 'end of the car that it is desired to load or to deliver material within a structure provided with a roof.

These and other objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompany- .ing drawings, in whichone end of the car'and its position in dotted lines when delivering a loadat the opposite end of the car.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a conventional type of box car similar to Fig. 2 showing the bracket arm and counterbalancing mechanism of the loading device extending over the roof of abox ear and the relative ositions 'ofthebracket arm and counter-ha ancing mechanism with respect to the loading 1 mechanisms, when the mechanism of the loading device is shifted-as shown in Fig. 2.

Fi ure 4 is a plan viewof the supporting mem er of the loading device showing the supportingv member positionedjand locked in a full lines for deliverin' intdone end of the car and positioned and ocked iii-dotted lines for delivering into thefopposite end of the car and a ,planview of-the'disc crank show Figure 5 is a plan view of a part of a bracket 'arm and, its associated mechanism showin a counter-balance mounted thereon which 1s adapted to be automatically" and simultaneously shiftedt'o either side'of the loading device to balance: the supporting ing one end of the reach rodconnected thereto.

member thereof when said supporting member is shifted to change to a position in opposed relation.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is applied for use in loading a conventional type of box car with bales or piles of sheet metal, but it will be apparent that the loading device can be used without material change, alteration, or modification, for loading or removing materifal from any structure provided with a roo In the drawings a conventional type of crane is used in association with the invention and is briefly described as follows:

A represents a hook, B a block and tackle, C a trolley to which the block and tackle is attached, the trolley being adapted for transverse movement in either direction on the carriage D of a crane that is adapted for longitudinal movement in either direction on a tramway E.

The preferred construction for the specific use shown in the drawings is described as follows:

A supporting member 1 is provided having parallel projecting portions 2 and 3. A vertical aperture is provided in the portion 2 of the supporting member 1 and a pin 4 is inserted therein projecting therefrom at each end. The pin is provided with adisc 5 at its upper end and is secured to the portion 2 of the supporting member 1 by a set screw 6 so that as the supporting member 1 is shifted from one position to another the disc 5 is simultaneously moved therewith. The disc is provided with a crank pin 7 which is secured eccentrically to the center of the disc, thereby providing a disc crank.

A collar 8i's supported upon the upper face of the portion 2 and is interposed between the disc 5 and the portion 2. The pin 4 is held in position by a collar 9 which is provided with ears 10 and 11. A bracket arm 12 is secured to the collar 8 preferably inclining downwardly and a head 13 is secured to the free end thereof. I

The head 13 is also provided with cars 14 and 15 and brace compression rods 16 and 17 are connected to the ears 14 and 15 and ears 10 and 11 to assist in maintaining and supporting the bracket arm in position. A bell crank 18 is preferably mounted on the head and secured to a pin 19, one arm thereof being adapted to swing to a lateral position with respect to the bracket arm.

The bell crank 18 carries a counter-balance 19. A reach rod 20'i s connected to the short arm 21 of the bell crank at-one end and its oppositeend is connected to the crank pin 7 of the disc 5 of the crank disc, so that as -rotat ive movement is imparted to the supporting member 1, simultaneous movement is imparted to the bell crank 18, which carries the counter-balance 19, causing the counter-balance to move to the opposite side of the bracket arm 12 to an opposed relation to the supporting member 1, thereby balancing the weight of the supporting member and its associated mechanisnn The bracket arm 12 is supported by the hook A of the block and tackle B. A pin 23 having a head 24 is fitted to be rotated in a vertical aperture formed adjacent to the free end of the portion 3 of the supporting member 1, leaving the end thereof projecting beyond the face thereof. A collar 25 is fitted to the pin 23 and is interposed between the head 24 of the pin and the lower face of the portion 3 and is adapted to be rotated on the pin 23. a v The pin 23 is rigidly secured to the portion 3 by a set screw 26 and when movement is imparted to the supporting member 1, the pin moves simultaneously therewith; A collar 27, which is provided with ears 28 and 29, is secured to the upper end of the pin 23. Brace suspension rods 29 and 29 are secured to the ears .29 and 29 of the cam member 31.

A jib 30 is secured to the collar 25 preferably inclining upwardly. A cam shaped member 31 is secured to the free end of the jib and the jib is also provided with a swivel hook 32. The hook 32 is adapted to engage the loop 33 of the bundle or bale carrier 34, thereby supporting for transportation material or freight, such as sheet metal or the like, as shown in the drawings and indicated at 35, preparatory to loading same into a box car or other roofed structure.

When one end of the box car has been loaded or the freight transported and deposited in a'roofed structure and it is desired to load the opposite end of the box car, the jib of the device is removed from the car and the supporting member is shifted or adjusted laterally in angular relation to the jib and bracket arm for efiiciently supporting the loading device during the loading operation within the desired end of thebox car or the like.

To permit the supporting member 1 to be shifted and positioned laterally to the desired angle with respect to the bracket arm and jib, without undue strain or friction or the like, means are employed which consist of the following mechanism:

A bar 36 is pivotally connected to a pin 37 whichis journaled in ears 38 and the bar is adapted to be swung from a vertical position to a horizontal position or vice versa. The bar 36 is provided at its free end with a longitudinal slot 39 which is adapted to aline with and permit the end of the cam member to enter same and extend therethrough as shown in Fig. 1. Ears 40 are formed on the free end of the bar 36 and a cam lever 41 provided with a nose 42 is pivoted thereto ad acent to the end by a pin 43.

meaoar When the bar is swung downward to approximately a vertical position, the end of the cam member passes through the slot' and i the cam lever 41 is actuated to lock the jiband the bracket arm together when the cam lever 41 is moved, the nose thereof engages the v notch 44 formed in the cam member.

' and yieldingly maintains the bar 86 in a horizontal position during the operation of the device when loading a box car or the like. It will be noted that any sagging or loss motion tending to spread the jib and bracket arm apart is there yprevented, the result being that friction, strain and the like is eliminated and the supporting member can then be shifted to different positions with slight effort or pressure. I

To yieldingly lock the supporting member of the device in predetermined positions for loading a box car or the like at either end or] location therein, the following mechanism is' provided:

Apertures 47 are provided in the collars. 8 and 25 and they are positioned a pre-deter- I mined distance apart from each other on the circumference thereof and are .alined with each other vertically.- Bearing members 48 and 49 are provided on the supporting memher 1. The bearing members 48 are alined with each other and have apertures'formed therein to journal a sliding rod 50. The slid- "ing rod 50 is provided with a notch 51 adjacent to its outer end. A coil spring 52 is interposed between the bearings 48 and is adapted ,to exert a tension to move the'sliding rod forward and engage one of the apertures 47. j

- A rod 51 is journaled in the-bearing memvber 49 and is provided with a notch 53.- "A

coil spring 54 is interposed between the bearings 49 and is adapted to exert a tension on the sliding rod 51 to force it into engagement with an aperture 47 when alined withthe end of the sliding rod 51.

The rear portion of the supporting member 1 is provided with a groove and a lever '55 is pivoted within the groove on a'pin 56, leaving one end thereof depending below the pin 56 and its upper end egaged withthe notch 51 ofthe sliding rod 50. Another lever 58 is pivoted on a .pin 59, below ,the lever and has the upper end turned L-shape. The lower end of the lever 58 engages the notch 53 in the sliding member 51'.

A lever 60'is pivoted to the supporting member'on a-pin 60 and the end thereof is adapted to contact with the upper end of the lever 58 and the upper portion of the lever '58 is adapted to contact with the lower end of the lever55, when the lever 60 is cactuated the lever 60 contacts with the upper portion of the lever 58 and in turn the upper portion of the lever 58 contacts with the lower portion of the lever 55' and exerts a pressure thereon to Withdraw the sliding rods 50 and 51 from their engagement with the apertures with the ends of the sliding rods 50 and 51, v

the pressure of the springs force the sliding rods to engage the apertures, locking the supporting member 1 ma pro-determined lateral position'with respect to the jib and bracket arm.v The ends of the sliding rods 50 and 51' yieldingly contact,with the circumference of the collars 8 and 25 as the supporting member is moved until they aline with the apertures 47 and thenengage therewith.

When the lever 60 is moved to its dottedline position, the mechanism consisting of the levers and sliding rods are actuated to permit the ends of the sliding rods to engage the apertures. The-jib and the bracket arm are so arranged with the locking mechanism that they are adapted to be locked in parallel position withsrespect to each other.

The box car is indicated by reference numeral 61 and the wheels thereof by reference \numeral 62.

' The operation of the device is as follows:

When it is desired to load a box car or other roofed structure, the swinging bar 36 is yieldingly held in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1 and the bracket armand jib are locked in parallel relation to each other and manipulated to be moved toward the side with and in parallel relation with the jib until the point ithin the car is reached that it is-desired to iinload' the freight or material in and freight is then released and deposited into the car by manipulation of the block and tackle of the conventional crane.

When the jib is withdrawn from the car and the bracket arm'is moved from over the roof of the car or the like, the device is manipulatedin reverse order. When the device is withdrawn from the .car, the bar 36 is swung to its dotted line position and locked to the cam member 31 as described, thereby tying the 30 and bracket a-rm 12 together preparatory to shifting. the supporting meming rods from the apertures a7 and the supporting member 1 is then shifted or positioned on the opposite side of the jib and bracket arm and locked for use for the purpose intended.

When loading or unloading either end of the car, the supporting member is preferably positioned in angular relation to the jib and the bracket arm in different positions laterally depending upon the end of the car that it is desired to load.

The adjustment of the angular relation of the jib and bracket arm to the supporting member for loading a particular end of the car is such that as the jib and supporting member are gradually moved by the attendant toward the car and into the desired end thereof, the supporting member being manipulated to assume a position that will permit the jib and portion 2- of the supporting member 1 to extend toward and to the center of the car to be turned to move toward the end thereof, while the projecting portion 3 and the bracket arm will extend and move over the roof of the box car or the like.

It will be noted that the invention can be used without change, modification, or alteration for unloading cars or roofed structures, hence the term loading in the specification and claims includes the unloading of the car or roofed structure as well as the loading thereof, the mechanism thereof being operated in the reverse order.

It is not intended to limit the invention to the exact structure shown and described in the drawings as many alterations, modifications, and changes may be made without depart-ing from the principle of the invention herein described.

I claim:

1. In a hoisting frame, a support, a bracket mounted for swinging movement at the upper end of the support, a jib mounted for swinging movement at the lower end of the support, and means whereby the bracket and jib mavbe secured in vertical alinment and fixed with respect to the support.

2. In a. hoisting frame, a support having outwardly extending upper and lowerportions, a jib pivotally supported on the lower portion for horizontal movement, a bracket pivotally supported for horizontal movement on the upper portion of the support, said jib and bracket being vertically alined.

3. In a hoisting frame, a support, a horizontally swinging bracket carried by the upper portion of the support, a horizontally swinging jib carried by the lower portion of the support, means for holding the bracket and jib in vertical alinement, the free end of the bracket providing a suspending point for the frame, the free end of the jib providing a loading point for the frame.

4. A hoisting frame, including a support, a bracket mounted for'horizontal swinging 5. A hoisting frame, including a support,

a horizontally swinging bracket at the upper end of the support, a horizontally swinging jib at the lower end of the support, and means whereby the bracket and jib may be maintained in the same vertical plane and fixed relative to the support, said means being manually controllable to permit different angular relations between the bracket and jib and the support.

6. A hoisting frame, including a support, a horizontally swinging bracket at the upper end of the support, and a horizontally swinging jib at the lower end of the support, said jib and bracketbeing maintained in the same vertical plane and inclined toward each other from the support.

7. A hoisting frame, including a support, a bracket at the upper end of the support, a jib at the lower end of the support, a member carried by the free end of the bracket, and means whereby said member may be removably secured to the free end of the jib, whereby to provide a load sustaining connection between the bracket and jib remote from the support.

8. A hoisting frame, including a support, a bracket at the upper end of the support, a jib at the lower end of the support, both bracket and jib being mounted for horizontal swinging relative to the support, and means whereby the jib and bracket may besimultaneously secured at any angle relative to the support.

9. A hoisting frame, including a support having upper and lower lateral extensions, a bracket mounted for horizontal swinging on the upper extension, a jib mounted for horizontal swinging relative to the lower extension, means for independently locking the bracket and jib relativeto such extensions, and means for simultaneously controlling the said locking means.

10. A hoisting frame, including a support,

a bracket swingingly mounted on the upper lUU plane and at varying angular relations to the vertical plane of the support.

12. A hoisting frame, including a support, a relatively swinging bracket, a relatively swinging jib, means whereby the bracket and jib may be secured in the same vertical plane and at varying angular relations to the verti cal plane of the support, and a counterbalance automatically compensating for the weight of the support in the different angular relations of the latter relative to the plane of the bracket and jib.

13. A hoisting frame, including a support, a bracket horizontally swinging at the upper end of the support, a jib horizontally swinging at the lower end of the support, said bracket and jib being maintained in the same vertical plane, meansto permit the adjustment of the support at varying angles to the vertical plane including the bracket and-jib,

and a counterbalance for the support automatically responsive to angular adjustments of such support for varying counterbalance effect.

14. In a hoisting frame, a horizontallyswing'ing bracket, a horizontally-swinging jib vertically alined with the bracket, a support for similar ends of the bracket, and jib and forming a rigid connection therebetween, and means whereby the free ends of the bracket and support may be interconnected at will.

15. In a hoisting frame, a horizontallyswinging bracket, a horizontally swinging jib, a support connecting similar ends of such bracket and jib, the bracket and jib being arranged for vertical alinement and of substantially equal lengths, the free ends of the bracket and jib being normally free of connection, and a'member pivotally carried by the free end of the bracket and formed to be removably secured to the free end of the jib to rigidly connect the free ends of these parts at will. 7 4

16. In a hoisting frame, a support, a bracket extending laterally of the support and swingingly connected thereto, a jib extending laterally of the support in the vertical plane of the bracket and swingingly connected to the support, the free end of the bracket providing a suspending point forthe frame and the free end of the jib providing a loading point for the frame, and means 1 whereby the free ends'of the bracket and jib' may be maintained free of connection when the frame is loading within a covered carrier,

7 tion of the free ends of the brac et and jib said means providing for the ri 'd connecfor load sustaining effect when desired.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM W. LEACH. 

